CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
The tiniest hint of fall barely tinged the tops of the trees near Monteagle against the backdrop of the bluest sky. Clay accelerated up the mountain, hoping to be in Atlanta before sundown. The all-nighter they had pulled did the trick. Everything was recorded—every instrument, every lyric, every backup vocal. It was finished. After a colossal wrap party in the studio Saturday night attended by all the musicians and their wives or girlfriends, Clay couldn’t take it anymore, the pining and yearning for Katie overwhelming. He finally had a couple of days off before rehearsals began for the Ryman show and all he could think about was getting to his girl.
It was almost six in the morning before Clay’s head hit the pillow and he slept longer than he intended. His body must have needed it. After a long shower and a shave, he packed an overnight bag, grabbed his guitar, and set off for Atlanta to surprise Katie. It was a gamble, not giving her a heads-up. She’d mentioned before that her family got together once a month for dinner. He hoped and prayed that this was not the night of their family reunion.
Traffic was light on the perimeter of the city of Atlanta. He remembered her gate code and pulled into her condo complex as the sun was starting to dip in the west. Before he left Nashville, he had purposefully stopped by the store to grab a nice bottle of wine which was near the floral section where a bouquet of purple hydrangea flowers caught his eye. With his overnight bag in one hand, the wine and flowers in the other, he approached the door with a grin on his face, ready to reunite with his girlfriend. He rang the bell and stepped back with his chest out, anxious to see her reaction. It was freakishly hot outside, the humidity settling into his pores, causing his skin to glisten with sweat. Nerves started to creep into his being as he rang the bell again. Surely, she was home on a Sunday evening?
When the front door opened, Clay wasn’t prepared for what he saw.
“May I help you?” A ridiculously good-looking man was standing on the other side, his bare chest tanned to golden perfection, his flawless smile intimidating. He was holding a full bottle of beer, looking like he owned the place.
“Who are you?” Clay scowled, not even bothering with a polite “hello.” He could feel the sweat start to trickle down his back.
“Who wants to know?” Golden-boy puffed out his chest. They were two peacocks sizing each other up.
“I’m sorry. My mistake. I should have called.” His blood was hot, anger rushing through his veins making his head pound. Two weeks of not being together and Katie had already moved on? She never implied that she was dating other guys. He thought they were exclusive. His world suddenly turned upside-down, and he couldn’t think straight in the heat. Turning on his booted heels, he quickly started toward his truck.
“Wait a minute. Hey, wait up!”
Clay opened the passenger side of his truck and threw his bag and the flowers in gruffly, setting the wine on the floorboard. Golden-boy was fast approaching in his flip-flops.
“Why the rush, man? You here for Katie?”
Clay turned with a start at the mention of her name and looked at the man with wide eyes. Golden-boy looked back at him biting his lip as if suppressing a laugh or a smile. He thrust his large hand out.
“I’m Hartford Parker. I’m Katie’s older brother.”
Taking a step back, Clay felt heat rush to his face and wiped his brow quickly. He thrust his hand out to shake his hand. “Oh, man. You scared the shit out of me. I’m Clay. Clay Watkins.” The two shook heartily standing in the parking lot, laughing. Clay had never been so relieved in his entire life. Katie had mentioned that her brother sometimes stayed with her, but she hadn’t said he was visiting this weekend.
“You might want to grab your stuff and come on in out of this heat. Katie should be back any minute. She’s out on her walk sulking. I can’t wait to see the look on her face when she sees you.”
Hart grabbed his bag and took the lead back to the condo. The rush of cool, sweet air was an instant relief, the distinct aroma of garlic and onions wafting from the kitchen.
“I’m making dinner. Eggplant parmesan. It should be ready soon. Hey, man. You look like you could use a cold beer.”
Clay nodded setting the wine on the counter. “That’d be great. You know where she keeps the vases?”
Hart smiled, and Clay swore he saw a glint of sunlight reflect off his perfect, white teeth. “Probably in the pantry—top shelf. Nice touch with the flowers.”
The two clinked bottles and gulped the cold beer. Clay licked his lips, thankful for the refreshing beverage. “You said she’s out on a walk. In this temperature?”
Hart chuckled peeking in the oven. “Yeah. She’s got this fancy dress she wants to look flawless in for some big event coming up.” He turned and winked at Clay. “Been walking after work every day and on the weekends. She’s committed.”
Something Clay had never felt before rippled through his chest. It made him feel light and loved. He knew precisely what Hart was talking about. Katie was preparing for the Ryman show. She was committed to him and her promise that she made to be there. Thank God, he decided to surprise her—to show just how much he missed her.
He set the purple flowers on the counter and was about to pull a clear vase from the top shelf of the pantry when the sound of the door slammed. His breath caught as he turned quickly and saw Katie walk into the kitchen. Her doe eyes nearly popped out of her head, and she screeched rushing toward him. Clay lunged, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close, their lips crashing into each other. He could feel the heat from her body seep into his skin. She was slippery with sweat, a pungent muskiness mixing with the food aroma.
“You’re here…,” she exhaled. Tears glistened her eyes as sweat trickled down her red cheeks.
“I’m here.” He wiped her hair that was sticking to her face back and cupped her cheek. “Did you miss me?”
Throwing her arms around him, she deliberately nuzzled her head against his neck, wiping her sweat all over him. Hart eyed them curiously from the opposite end of the kitchen, taking it all in with a smirk on his face.
“I’ll take care of the flowers, Prince Charming.” He grabbed the bouquet and pushed the googly eyed couple toward the stairwell. “Damn, girl. You reek! Y’all go clean up.”
Katie looped her arm with Clay and stared up at him. Looking down at her beautiful face devoid of any makeup and flushed from the temperature, he was in awe of her natural beauty, thankful to be with her after so many days apart. Climbing the stairs, he realized they were about to get naked and pulled her faster to the bedroom. She giggled like a schoolgirl as they rushed in and locked the door. Pulling her wet t-shirt and sports bra up and over her head, he stepped back, eyeing her beautiful tits that pointed straight at him. Her chest heaved, and she kept her eyes fixed on his as she pushed off her shoes and shimmied out of her shorts, standing naked before him like a glistening goddess. He approached her and lightly touched her skin that was turning clammy in the air-conditioned room.
“I want you so bad,” she whispered.
